SEASON #9 - DRU!

 EPISODE #1:  First Snow.                                                     12 to Start.

HOST - Jesse Palmer.

PRIZE - $25,000 plus a feature in Food Networking magazine.

JUDGES:  Nancy Fuller, Duff Godman, & Carla Hall.

                               PLAYERS

1.  AISHIA MARTINEZ        Pastry Cook                            Hoboken, NEW JERSEY

2.  SUMERA SYED              Home Baker vis London         Dallas, TEXAS

3.  AARON DAVIS               Cake Decorator                        Surprise, ARIZONA

4.  KRISTEN WEIDLEIN    Executive Pastry Chef             Staten Island, NEW YORK

5.  RACHELLE HUBSMITH  Home Baker                          Logan, UTAH

6.  CHRISTINE HERELLE-LEWIS  Pastry Chef via Paris   New York City, NEW YORK

7.  BILL MAKIN                      Home Baker                          Brooklyn, NEW YORK

8.  DRU TEVIS                        Corp. Pastry Chef                  Rehoboth Beach, DELEWARE

9.  JESSICA WANG                 Pastry Food Stylist                Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

10.  HARSHAL NAIK           Pastry Chef via India              Bedford, PENNSYLVANIA

11.  ANTOINE HOPKINS           Pastry Chef                         Philadelphia,    "

12.  ZAKIYA NEWTON         Bakery Owner                      Gotha, FLORIDA

FIRST CHALLENGE - Create a dessert that is inspired by a wreath or a Pavlova in 2 hours using Fall flavors.

       WINNER - Aishia - won an advantage.

FIRST MAIN HEAT - Cake or Pie using fall Flavors.  in 2 hours.

- Aishia's Advantage is getting to swap with anyone. She doesn't.

CAKE:  Harshal, Kristen, Christine, Bill, Aaron, & Rachelle.

PIE:  Aishia, Sumera, Zakiya, Antoine, Jessica, & Dru.

   WINNER - Tied.

BEST PIE - Jessica & BEST CAKE - Harshal

      WINNER - Jessica.

SAFE:  Harshal, Aaron, Bill, & Kristen.

BOTTOM 2:  Christine & Rachelle.

ELIMINATED:  Rachelle.

EPISODE #2:  Getting Ready for Thanksgiving.                            11 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Make a dessert in the bag and feature a particular item in 90 minutes.

            WINNER - Aaron - won the advantage.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - Gingerbread Cookies in 2 hours, which takes flavors of gingerbread and make them into a dessert worthy of taking center stage.

AARON ADVANTAGE IS: can swap flavors with one.

JUDGING:

   TOP 2:  Dru & Aaron.

         WINNER - Dru.

  SAFE:  Aishia, Sumera, Zakiya, Harshal, Christine, Bill & Jessica.

  BOTTOM 2:  Antoine & Kristen.

ELIMINATED:  Antoine ( my homeboy)

EPISODE #3:  Feeling Sweet and Thankful.             10 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Create a thanksgiving Dessert using the method of cooking a turkey - Fried, Brined, Roasted, and Bacon-wrapped in 2 hours.

       WINNER - Bill - won an advantage in the next round.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - Pie Tasting Room  Working in teams of 2.

  Bill's Advantage is choosing his own partner.

JUDGING:

        WINNER - Kristen & Zakiya.

         SAFE - Dru, Harshal, Aaron, Aishia, Christina, and Bill.

         BOTTOM 2 :  Sumera and Jessica.

ELIMINATED:  Sumera.

EPISODE #4:  Dining Out for the Holidays.                         9 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Take a classic steakhouse dessert and make them HOLIDAY! In 2 Hours.

        WINNER - Jessica - won an advantage.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - Baked Alaska.

- Take this iconic dessert and turn it into a festive baked Alaska Christmas tree USING CERTAIN FLAVORS in 2 1/2 hours.

    Jessica's Advantage is she didn't have to do the twists.

TWIST - Add an edible Tree Topper.

JUDGING:

    TOP 2:  Dru & Aishia.

    WINNER - Aishia.

    SAFE - Zakiya, Bill, Jessica, Aaron, and Harshal.

    BOTTOM 2 - Kristen & Christine.

ELIMINATED - Christine.

ESIPODE #5:  Holiday Movie Magic.                                        8 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Afternoon tea and Fancy bite-sized treats served on a 3-tiered tray.  Make a holiday afternoon tea fit for the King and Queens of Christmas in 2 hours and make 3-holiday tea desserts.  It must feature Holiday treats and holiday decor.  One dozen of each kind.  Working with a partner.

     Bill/Aishia        Dru/Aaron       Kristen/Harshal       Jessica/Zakiya    

                      WINNER - Aisha & Bill.  Won an Advantage.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - Holiday Romantic Comedics.

- Each baker creates a dessert using an assigned ingredient that is inspired by a movie cliche in 2 hours.

ADVANTAGE - choosing the movie.

TWIST - Popcorn Twist.

JUDGING:

    TOP 2 - Aishia & Dru.

            WINNER - Dru.

   SAFE - Harshal, Aaron, Zakiya, & Bill.

   BOTTOM 2 :  Jessica & Kristen

ELIMINATED:  Kristen.

EPISODE #6:  The World of Holidays.                       7 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Kinara, Muhindi or Corn.

- Create a Kwanzaa dessert that features fresh corn and decorate it with the traditional colors of Kwanzaa candles, Red, Black & Green in 90 minutes.

                   WINNER - Bill - won the advantage.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - International Holiday desserts.  Put a spin on it in 2 hours.

      Bill's Advantage - getting to pick first & picked Japanese Christmas Cake.

UNITED KINGDOM STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING - Harshal,

GUAVA SWISS ROO FROM PUERTO RICO - Aisha,

TARTE AU SUCRE FROM CANADA - Dru,

CHILEAN FRUITCAKE - Aaron,

SLOVAKIAN HONEY CAKE - Zakiya,

LECHE FLAN FROM PHILIPPINES - Jessica.

TWIST - Mulled Wine from scratch in your dessert.

JUDGING:

         WINNER - Dru.

          SAFE - Aishia, Zakiya, & Jessica.

          BOTTOM 2:  Harshal & Bill.

ELIMINATED:  Harshal.

EPISODE #7:  Holiday Rush.                                            6 Left.

PRE-HEAT CHALLENGE - Hanukkah.

- In 2 hours Make a cake and carve it to look like an ugly Hanukkah Sweater and Include ingredients which is served at Hanukkah.

              WINNER - Dru - won an advantage.

REHEAT CHALLENGE - In 60 minutes Create holiday rush cakes with new fillings, frosting, and decorations from a store-brought birthday cake into a beautiful centerpiece.

    Dru's advantage is he can sit out the challenge which he doesn't.

          WINNER - Jessica.

MAIN HEAT CHALLENGE - The Snowman.

- Turn it into one of the most difficult desserts to construct a CROQUEMBOUCHE in 2 1/2 hours into a snowman form.

   JUDGING:

TOP 2:  Aishia & Bill.

   WINNER - Bill.

SAFE - Aaron & Jessica.

BOTTOM 2:  Zakiya & Dru.

ELIMINATED - Zakiya.

ESIPODE #8:  Happy Holiday Getaway.                               5 Left.

                             THEN FINALE!

PRE-HEAT DESSERT VACATION CHALLENGE - 2 hours to bake up and decorate a holiday succulent tart.  The two worst will compete in a face-off, and one will be eliminated.

              WINNER - Dru - won an advantage and going to the Main Heat.

              SAFE - Aaron & Aishia.

FACE-0FF CHALLENGE - Jessica vs. Bill.

- In 90 minutes Bake up Ski Trip cream tarts that are decorated fancy cakes that are stacked with a delicious cream filling.

             WINNER - Jessica.

             ELIMINATED - Bill.

  

                FINAL FOUR:  Dru, Aaron, Aishia, & Jessica.

FINAL MAIN HEAT - Visit 4 Vacation Spots: the Caribbean, NYC, Paris, & The Swiss Alps.

- Bake a championship-worthy cake that highlights one of the popular spots and incorporates decorating.

    DRU'S ADVANTAGE - is picking first and choosing the other players.

Dru - Swiss Alps and Swedish Butter Cookies,

Aaron - New York City and Black and White Cookies,

Jess - Paris and Macarons,

Aishia - Caribbean.

JUDGING:

          TOP 2:  Aishia & Dru.

     THE WINNER IS DRU OF $25,000.

(Aishia's cake was better decorated.  Her cake was decorated all around while Dru's was not._